First published in 2010, this post briefly outlines the history of the little black dress, complete with examples from the FIDM Museum collection.

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During the nineteenth century, black clothing was usually worn to signify a special status, i.e. mourning, religious piety, extreme poverty or a position of economic and social authority. Because many professional men adopted black suit coats after 1850, black clothing was also associated with masculinity. Though women certainly wore all-black on some occasions, these ensembles were usually worn for specific activities, such as mourning or equestrian pursuits. Black slowly began
to enter the realm of fashionable dress in the late nineteenth century when it was adopted by a few daringly audacious women for day and/or evening dress. The infamous black dress worn by Virginie Gautreau in John Singer Sargent's 1884 painting Madame X, though shockingly revealing for the 1880s, is a prescient vision of what would become one of the twentieth century's most iconic garments, the little black dress.

Black dresses slowly gained ground through the early years of the twentieth century, earning the nickname "little" as the elaborate embellishment of late nineteenth century dress gradually dropped away. A November 23, 1906 society feature in the New York Times titled "Society Women Wear Black" indicates that all-black dress was fashionable but still enough of a novelty to inspire comment. During World War I, mourning dress was so widespread that black dresses were, almost necessarily, created in tune with the latest fashions. For the many women who worked outside the home during World War I, black garments were a practical choice for everyday dress. Black also entered the fashionable lexicon via the
work of Chanel, who presented a collection consisting primarily of black dresses in 1919. Poiret, Lanvin, and Fortuny were also experimenting with the potential of black during this same period. By the late 1920s, the little black dress had become a wardrobe staple.

The images below feature a selection of little black dresses from the FIDM Museum collection. When looking at these images as a group, an impressive
continuity is apparent. Despite slight differences in silhouette the primary characteristics of a little black dress, simplicity and an understated elegance, remain the same from decade to decade.

Evening
dress
1927-29
Silk taffeta
Transfer from the Museum at
FIT
2004.291.21

2004.291.21 Bodice detail

Evening gown
1938-42
Rayon crepe
Gift of Women Helping
Women
2001.788.1

Simonetta cocktail dress
1957-59
Silk taffeta
Gift of Mrs.
Rosekrans, Jr.
94.616.1

Christian Dior haute couture cocktail dress
Autumn/Winter 1962-63
Silk crepe
Gift of Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale
77.116.2

Yves Saint
Laurent evening dress
1980-81
Silk velvet and taffeta
Museum Purchase
2003.5.20